Britain’s Jay Clarke believes there is still a “barrier” stopping young black tennis players from developing in the UK.
Last month, the LTA launched its ‘equity, diversity and inclusion plan’, saying it will “not be satisfied until the diversity of everyone involved in tennis reflects the diversity of the communities in the country”.
Clarke, 26, is among several British top-200 players with black or mixed heritage, including Heather Watson, Paul Jubb and George Loffhagen.
“It is nice to see more black players breaking through and hopefully we can inspire more kids to pick up a racquet,” said 26-year-old Clarke, who plays Dan Evans in the Wimbledon first round.
“I think there is still a barrier and the sport is not amazingly accessible for black players.
“The LTA have done good things to resurface park courts and give people opportunities.
“The most important thing is seeing people like yourself playing and doing well on the big stages. Representation is important.”
This summer, Wimbledon is marking the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe’s victory at the All England Club – the first black tennis player to win a Grand Slam men’s singles title
Ashe, who won three major titles, has been one of Clarke’s biggest inspirations after being told the American player’s story.
“Having a black man win Wimbledon was amazing for my dad to see and that was passed on to me,” Clarke added.
“I watched highlights of him when I was younger and my dad used to get me to play differently – that’s how I learned to play the sport.”